The impact of wearable resistance training on strength, speed, and agility: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective To conduct a systematic assessment of the impact of wearable resistance training (WRT) on muscular strength, speed, and agility, while examining the influence of critical training parameters as moderating factors. Methods A systematic review was undertaken to identify eligible studies. Literature searches were conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, EBSCO databases from inception to October 31st, 2025. This study employed the Cochrane Collaboration tool built into Review Manager 5.4 for literature quality assessment, and utilized Stata version 18.0 for meta-analysis, including pooled effect size calculation, subgroup analysis, and publication bias assessment. Results The Meta-analysis encompassed 19 studies with a total of 233 participants. It is revealed that WRT produced significant improvements in jumping power (standardized mean difference (SMD) = −0.60; 95% CI [−1.07 to −0.14]; p = 0.01), and agility performance (SMD = −0.44, 95% CI [−0.58 to −0.30], p < 0.001). Subgroup analyses demonstrated that the most pronounced jumping power enhancements occurred with training frequencies of three sessions per week (SMD = −0.47, 95% CI [−0.92 to −0.02], p = 0.038). Additionally, external loading protocols utilizing 8–19% of body weight yielded superior improvements (SMD = −0.17, 95% CI [−0.37 to 0.03], p = 0.032). Finally, subgroup analyses revealed no significant moderating effects for wearable device placement, participant age, or study population characteristics ( p > 0.05). Conclusion WRT effectively enhances jumping power and agility. Although it contributes to some improvement in speed and maximal strength, the effect is not statistically significant. Further high-quality studies are needed in the future to validate these findings.